Internal-combustion engine.



H. J. HICKEY.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918. 2 SHEETS-sum1 ffl/bric??? W. Q N R. P 7 d0 A n/um o I 7 El w N m v M 3mm. :Vi c u DI DI A H. I. HICKEY.

|N1ERNAL comusrloN ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21 |917.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.`

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

III'

HENRY J. HICKEY, OF FORT DODGE, IOWA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed April 27, 1917'. Serial No. 164,987.

To all jwhom it may concern:

Be it known` that I, HENRY J. HICKEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Dodge, in the county of Tebster and State of iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improveniente in internal -Combustion Engines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and particularlyto the valve mechanism thereof.

The invention hereinafter described relates tothe same type of enginedisclosed in my former Patent No. 1,171l,722, dated March 7, 1916, theobject in view being to provide valves and operating means ltherefor ofan improved and more reliable character, doing away with the relief portand auxiliary valve described in said patentl and employing in lieuthereof two piston valves in connection with each cylinder andcombustion chamber, one valve taking care of the intake and the .othervalve taking care of the exhaust.

n.- further object in view is to provide novel driving means for saidvalves whereby they are actuated from the crank shaft of the engine andcapable of being timed in relation to each other as well as in relationto the crank shaft. This enables best results to be obtained as anaccurate adjustment of the relative movements of the valves is of greatimportance in order to secure the highest efliciency,

lVth the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereindescribed, illustrated and clanned.

ln the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a section taken through theengine transversely of the crank shaft and diametrically of one of thecylinders, the opposite cylinder being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through one of the cylinders taken in linewith the ports affording communication between the combustion chamberand the valve chamber.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through one of the valves.

Fig. 4.- is a vertical longitudinal section through the engine on theline P-4 of Fig. 1.

The engine in conjunction with which the improved valve mechanism isused is shown as of the V type, 1 designating the crank case, 2 thecrank shaft, 3 the cylinders which are arranged in angularly disposedpairs as shown in Fig. 1, 1lthe connecting rods and 5 one of the pistonswhich reciprocates in the combustion chamber 6, 7 designating a sparkplug arranged in the cylinder head, the cylinder being water `iacketedas shown at 8.

As shown in Fig. 2, each cylinder is formed with two valve chambersarranged preferably at the inner side thereof as indicated in Fig. 1, 9designating the intake valve chamber and 10 the exhaust valve chamber.The chamber 9 communicates with the combustion chamber 6 by means of aport 11. A corresponding port 12 affords communica tion between thecombustion chamber G and the exhaust chamber 10. 13 designates theintake port leading to the chamber 9 and 1li designates the exhaust portleading from the exhaust; chamber 10. The water jacket S extends notonly around the cylinder wall proper but also around the walls o1 theinlet and exhaust valve chambers as clearly shown in said Fig. 2. Thisis an important feature in that it insures the proper cooling of thevalves and prevents overheating thereof and consequent undue expansionand contraction of the valves and the walls of the valve chambers.

The inlet and exhaust valves are practically identical in construction,one of said valves being shown in section in Fig. 3. Each of said valvesis in the form of a piston having an elongated skirt 15 and a closedhead 16. The skirt of the piston is preferably internally ribbed orreinforced as indicated at 17 where the packing rings 1S are located,said reinforcements or ribs 17 providing for the formation of thegrooves to receive the packing rings and rendering the piston valve as awhole comparatively light. A tubular port 19 extends diametricallythrough each valve, the inner end of Said port being arranged to moveinto and out of registration with the respective port 11 or 1Q leading`to the combustion chamber 8 while the outer end of the port 19 isadapted to simultaneously move into and out of registration with therespective port 13 or 14.

Each piston valve is coupled by an inr dividual connecting rod 2O to oneof a pair of parallel rotary valve shafts 21 and 22. These shafts arejournaled in the upper portion of the Crank case as clearly shown inFig. l and said shafts have fast thereon sprocket wheels 23 and 9Aaround which passes a silent driving chain 25 which is actuated by asprocket wheel 26 fast 03,1 the crank shaft 2. The sprocket wheels 23and 24 which revolve in the same direction are twice the size of thesprocket Wheel 26 on the engine shaft so that the valve shafts 2l and22'are driven at one-half of the speed of the crank shaft. rIhe resultof this is that each of the pistons has one complete back and forthmovement for tivo of such movements on the part of the piston 5 thusallowing for the four operations of a four cycle engine. The cranks ofthe valve shafts are of course arranged so as to actuate the respectiveinlet and exhaust valves to open `and close the corresponding` ports atthe proper intervals. The sprocket Wheels and driving chain under thearrangement shown and described, provide for an accurate adjustment ortiming` of the valve shafts and Vtherefore the valves, and theirmovements are governed by said valve shafts. The valves areselfcleaning, it being impossible for any carbon to accumulate aroundsaid valves and within the valve chambers. Overheating of the valves isprevented by the Water jacket arrangement and therefore perfectlubrication is practicable. Furthermore the valve mechanism as whole isnoiseless, the valves and all parts associated therewith being Whollyinclosed within the crank case and the cylinder blocks.

l claim 1. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a crank shaftjournaled therein, cylinder blocks arranged in V relation to each otherand each embodying an inclined combustion Chamber and inlet and exhaustchambers'ivhich communicate with the combastion chamber through separateports both located immediately adjacent to the cylinder head,reciprocatory pistons in said cylinders connected to said crank shaft,piston valves mounted to reciprocate in said inlet and exhaust valvechambers, parallel rotary valve shafts journaled within the crank case,connecting rods between said valve shafts and the piston valves, anddriv ing means between the crank shaft and said valve shafts.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a crank shaft journ'aled therein, cylinder blocks arranged in J relation to each otherand each embodying an inclined combustion chamber at the outer and lowerside of the block, and inlet and exhaust chambers at the inner side ofthe block, rcciprocatory pistons in said cylinders connected to saidcrank shaft, piston valves mounted to reciprocate in said inletandexhaust valve chambers and each provided with a through port, parallelrotary valve shafts journaled withinthe crank case above the crankshaft, connecting rods between said valve shafts andvpiston valves,sprocket wheels on said valve shafts, a sprocket wheel on the crankshaft, and a chain extending around said sprocket wheels fortransmitting` motion from the crank shaft to the valve shafts.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

HENRY J. HICKEY.

Gopjes of this patent may be Obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gnmmissoner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G.

